Taipei residents aged 65 and up to receive NT$1,500 from city government

Taipei residents aged 65 and up to receive NT$1,500 from city government

2023-07-18

Eight years after being discontinued, Taipei’s Double Ninth Festival cash gifts are making their return. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an announced a NT$1,500 gift for older adults, to be disbursed starting Aug. 8. Eligible residents can collect it as a bank transfer, cash, or credit in their senior citizen cards. As for where the money will come from, the mayor stressed that the city won’t be incurring debt to finance the program.

Crouching down in greeting, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an brings out a smile from a woman in her 90s. After an eight-year hiatus, Taipei’s Double Ninth Festival cash gift is making a comeback.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
I would like to officially announce that I am fulfilling my campaign promise last year. Taipei will once again give older adults a cash gift of NT$1,500 for Double Ninth Festival.

This year’s Double Ninth Festival lands on Oct. 23. Taipei residents aged 65 and up will be eligible to collect the cash. The first wave will go out on Aug. 8 and can be redeemed with a senior citizen card at top-up machines. A second batch will be sent on Oct. 3 in the form of bank transfers. People who prefer cash will have to wait until mid-October to collect it at select service points.

The program was discontinued by former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je. But as Ko runs for president, he appears to have softened his stance.

Ko Wen-je
Taiwan People’s Party chair
If you’ve got the money, you might as well spend it. It’s just that I don’t know if this money… if Mayor Chiang Wan-an is able to justify this expenditure to city council, then there’s no problem.

Huang Ching-ying
Taipei councilor (TPP)
During interpellation sessions at city council, I reminded Chiang Wan-an many times that he should respect the city government’s overall fiscal discipline and plans. I hope Mayor Chiang didn’t just hear me, but actually listened to me.

Councilors fear the gift will come at the expense of welfare programs. Just before leaving office, Ko had approved the reinstatement of a NT$1,200 gift. Mayor Chiang added another NT$300, bringing the total to NT$1,500. But where is the money coming from?

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
All the relevant budgets were approved by the city council. There’s no problem here, we won’t be getting into debt for this.

Chiang is bringing back the cash for his first Double Ninth Festival as mayor. But finding a balance between honoring seniors and juggling city finances will be a test for his administration.

北市睽違8年發重陽敬老金開放領現金蔣：不會舉債發錢

2023-07-18

台北市重陽敬老金取消八年，終於回來了。市長蔣萬安兌現選舉承諾，今天(18)宣布三大發放方式，凡是設籍在台北市65歲以上長者都能領到1500元紅包。至於經費來源以及財政紀律，蔣萬安強調絕對不會舉債發錢。

主動彎腰噓寒問暖，九旬阿嬤臉上全是笑容。蔣萬安對長者展現關懷，台北市更睽違八年，要發重陽敬老金。

[[台北市長蔣萬安]]
“能夠跟大家正式宣布，能夠落實我去年的承諾以及政見，來正式恢復1500，重陽敬老金的發放”

今年的重陽節在10/23，台北市65歲以上長者都能領到1500元紅包。8/8第一波開放敬老愛心悠遊卡逼卡加值，10/3第二波匯款入帳，想拿現金也ok，10月中開放定點領取。

取消發放的前市長柯文哲，如今拚戰總統大位，態度也放軟。

[[民眾黨主席柯文哲]]
“我倒覺得有錢就花嘛，我就不曉得這個錢，(蔣萬安)只要這個錢，可以交代過去就可以了”

[[台北市議員(民眾) 黃瀞瑩]]
“我在議會質詢時，曾經多次提醒蔣萬安市長，應該重視市府整體的財政紀律，以及財政規劃，希望蔣萬安市長不只聽見了也聽懂了”

議員緊盯，就怕社福預算被排擠，尤其柯文哲卸任前拍板恢復敬老金1200元，蔣萬安又加碼三百塊，來到1500，但這錢從哪裡來？

[[台北市長蔣萬安]]
“我們其實議會都已經通過相關的預算，這個都沒有問題，不會舉債”

上任第一個重陽節，敬老金回來了，但如何在敬老尊賢和財政紀律間取得平衡，考驗蔣市府智慧。

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